Metal awning



C. F. MA-RKLE METAL AWNING Feb.` 12, 1.952

Filed May 28, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 C. F. MARKLE Feb. 12, 1952 METAL AWNING 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed May 28, 1948 CAIQL ATTOfQ/VEYS.

Patented Feb. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE METAL AWNING .Carl F.'Ma.rkle, Pennsboro, W. Va.

)Application May. 28, 1948seria1n0'. 29.692

f2 Claims.

invention relates to improvements in win- L It is among the objects" vofther invention to provide an improved sheetm'etal awning; which .provides 'ample ventilation, is easy and economical 'to manufacture and assemble, easily variable in Vsize, can be rmly attached to a building wall surrounding `a window opening, and is neat and attractiveV in appearance.

,"Other objectsand advantages willA become ap- 'parent `from a consideration of thefollowing description :and .appended claims in conjunction "with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 isa front elevation of an awning illus- 'trative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a .longitudinal .cross-section taken substantially on the line 2--2 .of Figure l;

1 Figure`3 is a perspective view of afragmentary portion of a supporting element of the3 awning;

. vFigure 4 is a perspectiver view of av tubular .,spacer;

Figure 5 is aV perspective view of fragmentary end portions of a rain excluding hood. for the awning;

.Figure .6 is atransverse cross-section of a fragmentary part of the top wall of the. awning taken substantially on the .line 6-6 of Figure 1; Figure ,'7 is a transverse cross-section offragvirnentaryportions ofthe topand Yside walls of 1 the awning takenl substantially on' the line 1-1 of Figure. 2;

l .Figure 8 is a perspective .view of afragmentary corner .portion of` the awning frame;

j Figure 9 is a transverse crossesection on an enlarged scale of a fragmentary portion of the upper part of the awning showing the manner in which Ventilating air flows therethrough;

Figure V10 is a longitudinal. cross-'section on an enlarged scale of a fragmentary. outervpportionof the awning at'the rjunction of the' top' 'and front :Walls thereof;

Figure 1l is a transverse cross-section of a fragmentary portion of the awning vfront wall, taken lsubstantially on the line II--II of Figure 10;` and Figure 12 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of a modified frame construction.

With continuedreference to the drawings, the

4improved awningcomprises, in general, vaframe f I Ii, atop wall Il' disposed .above theirame, a front Wall I2 continuous withv the topwall and A'secured to the front'o'r` ther frame, ,a'pair of'jside walls I3, a supporting structure Mfor theupper "edge of lthertopwall Il and a hood I5 disposed 'above'the supporting structure I4 to exclude'rain from va Ventilating passage provided by thesupport structure.

The frame I is particularly illustratedV in .Figures 2, 7, 8 and l0 and comprises a front bar I6 of substantially square, tubular-formation, a pair of substantially horizontal side bars I1 of the same form as the front bar and each secured at one end to a corresponding end of the front bar, and a pair of inclined side bars I8 which are also of the same form as the front bar and, each of which is secured at one end to a corresponding end of the front bar IE. The horizontal bars l1 are substantially perpendicular to the front bar iS and each inclined bar i8 is disposed at an acute angle to the corresponding horizontahbar Il.

The horizontal side bars Il are provided'at their ends opposite the front bar I6 with respective clips I9 for attachment to the window opening surrounding portion of a building wall. to

which the awning is attached, and the ends of vthe inclined frame bars I8 opposite the "front bars i6 are connected to the corresponding` ends of a flat plate 28 which is attached to the building wallimmediately above the window openngand constitutes a part of the support structure generally indicated at I4.

The top wall of the awning;V as particularly illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 6, comprises a plurality of elongated panel strips 2l having par- .allel edges and arranged in sideeby-side relation- .strip to.V provide a slot `along the .inner side of .each panel .strip flange. Eaehcap strip 22` is .agenerally tubularmember of substantially rec- Ltangular cross-.sectional shape but Vpreferably having bevelled outer corners 25 and having a pair of parallel, centrally-located,.internalanges v215 receivable in the slots provided by the-reversed portions 24 of two adjacent panel strip nanges 23, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 6. Eachcap strip may be operatively assembled 'with the. corresponding .adjacent panel strips, by inserting :the internal flanges 2B at onejendlof V.the cap.. strip .intothe adjacentnends of the slots provided between .the panel strip anges 23"-'and the corresponding reversed'flange portions-24 and sliding the capstriplongitudinally ofth'e'panel strips until the cap strip is coterminous with the panel strips, the cap strips being started at the ends of the top wall panel strips from which the front wall I2 depends.

The front wall I2 comprises continuations of the top wall panel strips and cap strips but the internal flanges 26 of the cap strips are cutaway, as clearly illustrated in Figure 11 so that when the end portions of the cap strips forming the front wall are bent downwardly the flanges 26 may be snapped under the reversed portions 24 of the panel strip flanges 23.

The panel strips are secured to the frame front bar I 6 by screws 21 inserted through portions of the panel strips covered by the corresponding cap strips 22 before the cap strips are snapped down into place, suitable apertures 28 being provided in the inner wall portions of the cap strips to receive the heads of screws 21. These screws are tapered, spirally-threaded screws conventionally used to secure sheet metal parts together. After the end wall portions of the panel strips 2| have been firmly secured to the front frame bar I6 the front wall portions of the cap strips are snapped into place and secured to the panel strips by screws 29, Figure 1l, inserted through the panel strips into the inner wall portions of the cap strips immediately below the frame bar I6.

The frame bars may be secured together at their ends by suitable means such as illustrated in Figure 8, wherein a U-shaped clip 30 has an apertured web portion seculed to one of the bars by a screw 3| and a pair of legs received in the end of the other bar and secured thereto by screws 32.

The outer portion of top wall II is supported above the inclined frame members I8 by the front wall I 2, as is clearly apparent from an inspection of Figure 2 and the inner or upper edge of the top wall is supported above the inclined side bars of the frame by the supporting structure I4. In addition to the plate 2D this supporting structure comprises a support strip 33 having along its lower edge an outwardly extending flange 34 provided with a reversed portion 35 which is inclined to the flange 34 at an angle substantially equal to the acute angle between each frame side bar I1 and corresponding inclined bar I 3. The inner edge of the top wall II rests upon the reversed portion 35 of the support strip flange and a plurality of tongues 3S struck out of the support strip overlie the upper surface of the top wall and are secured to the top wall cap strips by screws 31, as particularly illustrated in Figure 9, the panel strips of the top wall being secured to the reversed portion 35 of the flange by similar screws 38. Strip 33 and plate 20 are provided with registering apertures and suitable screws or bolts 39 extend through these apertures and into the building wall to carry the support strip 33, suitable tubular spacers 40 respectively surrounding the screws 39 between the support strip 33 and the plate 20 to space the support strip from the plate and provide a Ventilating air passage between the inner or upper edge of the top wall II and the building wall contacting plate 20.

The upper edge of the support strip 33 extends above the top edge of the top wall II and the hood I is provided along its outer edge with a depending flange 4I which overlaps the upper edge of support strip 33 to provide a labyrinth passage leading to the top of the Ventilating space between the support strip and plate 20 to prevent rain or other moisture, such as snow and sleet, from being driven under the hood and downwardly through the Ventilating passage.

At its upper edge the hood I5 is provided with a flange 4'2 apertured to receive screws 43 by means of which the hood is secured to the building wall in operative position above the upper edge of the awning top wall I I.

The hood I5 is also provided with downwardly extending end walls 44, Figure 5, which close the opposite ends of the Ventilating passage.

Each end wall I3 comprises a plurality of flanged panel strips 45 and cap strips 46 of the same construction as described above in connection with the top wall II and interlocked in the same manner.

The panel strips and cap strips of the end walls are cut off to terminate along a line spaced just below and substantially parallel to the corresponding horizontal frame side members I1, the bottom edges of the panel strips being preferably concavely curved, as indicated at 41, as are also the panel strips of the front wall I2. At their upper ends the panel and cap strips of the side walls are diagonally cut to terminate substantially flush with the upper surfaces of the corresponding inclined frame side members I3, which places the upper ends of the side walls below the under-surface of the top wall I I. The two marginal top wall cap strips 2I are different from the intermediate cap strips 2| in that they have depending outer wall portions 49 and only one internal flange 26. The depending outer wall 49 of each marginal cap strip 2| extends downwardly below the upper edge of the corresponding end wall I3 and overlies the outer surfaces of the corresponding cap strips 46 to which it is secured by screws 50. This construction provides Ventilating spaces between the side wall cap strips which extend Within the depending side walls 49 of the marginal top wall cap strips and to the under-surface of the top wall II. Air flowing through these last-mentioned Ventilating spaces cools the end walls of the awning and ows along the under-surface of the top wall to the Ventilating space between plate 20 and supporting strip 33 and out of the awning beneath the hood I 5.

To facilitate mounting of the awning the two horizontal frame side members I1 may each be formed in two telescopically associated portions, as indicated at 52 and 53 and particularly illustrated in Figure 12. By means of this telescopic construction the awning may be adjusted to the desired angle and the length of the lower or horizontal frame side bars adjusted to accommodate any variations in the angle of the awning or any qualities in the surface of the building wall and the two portions then secured in fixed position relative to each other by a suitable means such as the screw 54.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet metal awning comprising a frame including a front bar, a pair of side bars each secured at one end to a corresponding end of said front bar and extending substantially perpendicular to the latter, and a pair of inclined bars each secured at one end to a corresponding end of said front bar and disposed at an acute angle to the corresponding side bar, a top and front wall supported on said frame and comprising a plurality of panel strips and a plurality of cap strips provided with interlocking flanges, said front wall Ibeing secured to said front frame bar and said top wall being supported above said inclined frame bars, a pair of side Walls each secured to the side bar and inclined bar at the corresponding end of said frame and comprising interlocking panel strips and cap strips, the cap strips at each edge of said top wall having at one side an extension overlapping and secured to the corresponding side wall cap strips to provide Ventilating spaces from the outside of said side walls to the underside of said top Wall, means supporting the upper edge oi' said top Wall at a spaced distance from the plane of a building Wall to provide a Ventilating space at the upper edge of said top wall, and a hood spaced above and overlying said last-mentioned Ventilating space to exclude rain from the latter, said means supporting the upper edge of said top Wall comprising a nat plate adapted to rest against the awning-supporting wall, a supporting strip having along one edge a reversed, inclined flange underlying and secured to said top wall and struck out tongues overlying and secured to said top wall at the upper edge of the latter, screw fasteners extending through said supporting strip and said plate,

and tubular spacers surrounding each screw fastener between said strip and said plate.

2. A sheet metal awning comprising a frame including a front'I bar, a pair of side bars each secured at one end to a corresponding end of said front bar and extending substantially perpendicular to the latter, and a pair of inclined bars each l secured at one end to a, corresponding end of vsaid front bar and disposed at an acute angle to the corresponding side bar, a top and front Wall supported on said frame and comprising a plurality of panel strips and a plurality of cap strips provided with interlocking flanges, said front Wall being secured to said front frame bar and said top wall being supported above said inclined frame bars, a pair of side walls each secured to the side bar and inclined bar at the corresponding end of said frame and comprising interlocking panei strips and cap strips, the cap strips at cach edge of said top wall having at one side an extension overlapping and secured to the corresponding side Wall cap strips to provide ventilating spaces from the outside of said side walls to the underside of said top Wall, means supporting the upper edge of said top Wall at a spaced distance from the plane of a building wall to provide a Ventilating space at the upper edge of said top wall, and a hood spaced above and overlying said last-mentioned Ventilating Space to exclude rain from the latter, said means supporting the upper edge of said top wall comprising a flat plate adapted to rest against the awning-supporting wall, a supporting strip having along one edge a reversed, inclined flange underlying and secured to said top Wall and struck out tongues overlying and secured to said top wall at the upper edge of the iatter, screw fasteners extending through said supporting strip and said plate, and tubular spaces surrounding each screw fastener between said strip and said plate, and said hood having a flange on its outer edge extending below the top edge of said support strip to provide a rain-excluding labyrinth air passage between said hood and the upper edge of said top Wall.

CARL F. MARKLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Eschrich Oct. 18, 1949 

